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The victory over Japan was a special one for Brazil, as it marked the first time they had won a FIFA World Cup knockout match after trailing at half-time in 88 years.
Brazil players celebrate after Selecao’s 2-1 win over Japan in FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match. (Picture Credit: AP)
Brazil faced Japan in their first knockout match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Monday (June 29) and secured a hard-fought 2-1 comeback victory in Houston. In the Round of 32 clash at NRG Stadium, played in front of 68,777 fans, Casemiro scored Brazil’s equaliser in the 56th minute before Gabriel Martinelli netted the winner in the fifth minute of stoppage time (90+5′).
The victory over Japan was a special one for Brazil, as it marked the first time they had won a FIFA World Cup knockout match after trailing at half-time in 88 years.
Brazil’s previous such victory came against Czechoslovakia in the replay of their 1938 FIFA World Cup quarter-final at Parc Lescure in Bordeaux on June 14, 1938. After trailing 0-1 at the break, Brazil scored twice in the second half to complete a 2-1 comeback victory in that match.
Since their victory over Czechoslovakia in 1938, Brazil had lost four consecutive FIFA World Cup knockout matches in which they trailed at half-time before finally ending that run against Japan in 2026.
The first of those four defeats came against Hungary in the quarter-finals of the 1954 FIFA World Cup. Brazil trailed 1-2 at half-time and eventually lost 2-4. In the final of the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Brazil went into the break 0-2 down against France before suffering a 3-0 defeat.
In the semi-finals of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, hosts Brazil trailed Germany 5-0 at half-time and went on to lose 7-1. Four years later, in the quarter-finals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Kazan, Brazil were 0-2 down at the interval against Belgium and eventually lost 2-1.
Brazil’s results in FIFA World Cup knockout matches when trailing at half-time
| EDITION | MATCH TYPE | AGAINST | RESULT | SCORE AT HALF-TIME | FINAL SCORE | SCORER(S) | VENUE | DATE |
| 1934 | Round of 16 | Spain | Loss | 0-3 | 1-3 | Leonidas | Luigi Ferraris Stadium, Genoa | May 27, 1934 |
| 1934 | Quarterfinal (Replay) | Czechoslovakia | Win | 0-1 | 2-1 | Leonidas, Roberto | Lescure Park, Bordeaux | June 14, 1938 |
| 1954 | Quarterfinal | Hungary | Loss | 1-2 | 2-4 | Djalma Santos, Julinho | Wankdorf Stadium, Bern | June 27, 1954 |
| 1998 | Final | France | Loss | 0-1 | 0-3 | — | Stade de France, Saint-Denis | July 12, 1998 |
| 2014 | Semifinal | Germany | Loss | 0-5 | 1-7 | Oscar | Mineirão Stadium, Belo Horizonte | July 8, 2014 |
| 2018 | Quarterfinal | Belgium | Loss | 0-2 | 1-2 | Renato Augusto | Kazan Arena, Kazan | July 6, 2018 |
| 2026 | Round of 32 | Japan | Win | 0-1 | 2-1 | Casemiro, Gabriel Martinelli | NRG Stadium, Houston | June 29, 2026 |
Martinelli creates history with 90+5th minute winner
Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli came off the bench in the second half of Brazil’s 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32 match against Japan and scored the winning goal for the five-time champions in the fifth minute of stoppage time (90+5′). The strike earned Martinelli a place in the record books.
Martinelli’s goal in the 90+5th minute is the latest winning goal scored in normal time in the knockout stages of FIFA World Cup history.
About the Author
Harshit Bisht is a sports journalist with CNN-News18 since July 1, 2024, and covers cricket with a sharp eye for records, trends, and match analysis. Based in Noida, he has reported extensively on the…Read More
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